Blowing smoke
Subtitle: rethinking the war on drugs without prohibition and rehab
By: Michael J. Reznicek
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Lanham, Md
Language: eng
Number of pages: 221
ISBN-13: 9781442215146; 9781442215160
Subjects: Drug traffic; Drug abuse; History; Prevention; Drug control
Description: "Alcohol, opiates, cocaine and marijuana, among other drugs, have been used and abused for millennia. Before the disease-model approach to drug addiction, which posits that addiction is a psychological and biological problem and that sufferers are victims, societies had a workable solution: let people consume what they want, and let informal cultural controls reinforce responsible behavior. Legal sanctions were reserved for any use that affected the safety of others. Blowing Smoke proposes an approach to the war on drugs that returns us to the pre-disease-model era. Dr. Reznicek debunks the disease model, arguing that it has exacerbated the problem, and provides a new framework, more consistent with current neuroscientific knowledge: the habit model. Habits are practiced as long as they provide comfort, and are abandoned when they cause pain. Dr. Reznicek recommends the legalization of drugs for adults and the implementation of social practices to dissuade abusers, and shows how such an approach can work for us today"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Murder, thievery, and drunkenness; title: Demon rum; title: Racism, progressivism, and drug laws; title: The power of paradigms; title: The brain on drugs; title: Deconstructing rehab; title: Rehab's effectiveness : who's really in denial?; title: The habit model; title: Controlling teen drug use; title: Controlling adult drug use; title: Conclusion; title: Appendix a: signs of drug use in children; title: Marijuana; title: Sedative-hypnotics; title: Cocaine; title: Methamphetamine; title: Ecstasy (MDMA); title: LSD (acid); title: Heroin; title: PCP (phencyclidine); title: Club drugs; title: Prescription drug abuse; title: Inhalants; title: Drug paraphernalia; title: A note about drug-testing; title: Appendix b: medications used to treat addictions; title: Appendix c: diagnosing addictions; title: Bibliography; title: About the author.